This application generally relates to display devices, and in particular, to three dimensional (3-D) polarized displays.
3-D displays have been used for a variety of applications, such as, for example, image analysis, video gaming, computer-aided design (CAD), and movies. Previously, stereoscopes were used to present two different images to a viewer's eyes.
There are a multitude of 3-D displays on the market that use a range of technologies. These include single graphical displays that use special shading and sizing of objects to mimic a 3-D effect. As such, the single-display versions are only approximations of true 3-D and do not contain full-spatial detail.
Other conventional 3-D displays include dual displays in which unique information is sent to each eye of the observer. For example, 3-D movie systems use two separate projectors that are synchronized. IMAX 3D®, for instance, has developed a dual-film camera with single optics that operates at 48 frames per second (time interleaved). The IMAX Corporation, InFocus Corporation and Lightspeed Design, Inc. each produce digital projectors based on the time-interleaved technique. The IMAX® projector operates at extreme brightness for very large movie screens. The Lightspeed Design DepthQ® projector, on the other hand, is portable and is aimed primarily at the gaming and CAD markets.
Dual displays require the use of specialized glasses or goggles that are configured to split the images into respective ones for each eye. Dual displays generally have low brightness and low resolution. For example, conventional dual displays may use red/blue separation, two full-sized polarized displays, time-interleaved displays, and spatially interlaced polarimetric displays. Of these options, the time-interleaved variant is most prevalent, appearing in many commercial products. The viewer wears goggles which apply active shutters to select information synchronously for each eye. This type of display operates at double its needed speed (i.e., at 120 Hz), alternating images sent to each eye on sequential frames, which is burdensome on the projectors.
Thus, in light of the aforementioned drawbacks, an improved 3-D display is desired.